Verkhovna Rada Votes in Favor of Wartime Powers

12 May 2015

The Verkhovna Rada has adopted a law instating a legal regime for the functioning of the state during wartime, while the Governor of Luhansk Oblast, Hennadiy Moskal, prohibited the crossing of the regional demarcation line for all but cyclists, pedestrians, and humanitarian missions.

According to this law, the military command and the local administrations have the right to establish a regime of enhanced protection of critical facilities, to introduce labor service for able-bodied persons, forcibly confiscate private and communal property for state needs, to prohibit peaceful assemblies, meetings, marches, demonstrations and other public events, to prohibit activities of political parties, to carry out the evacuation of the population, and other actions.

However, the deputies removed a rule about the confiscation of firearms during wartime.

The official website of the head of Luhansk regional military-civilian administration, Hennadiy Moskal, reports that today he has signed an order prohibiting the crossing the demarcation line, which passes through the Luhansk region, for all vehicles, including passenger cars. Cyclists, pedestrians, and the vehicles of international humanitarian organizations are still permitted.

As of today, one checkpoint works on the demarcation line in the Luhansk region which runs from Lysychansk, through Hirske and Zolote, into the direction of the occupied Pervomaisk.

The ban will apply until the Verkhovna Rada and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine issue regulations on the movement of goods in the occupied territory. The order of the Head of Administration enters into force upon its publication in the media.

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